WWYDW: Waiting for Pettersson to Return

As we all know, Elias Pettersson has been placed on IR after sustaining and injury against the Canadiens when he got tangled up with fellow rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Adam Gaudette has been recalled as a result.

Pettersson’s absence leaves a giant hole in the Canucks offence, and if the last two games have been any indication, they may never score again with him out of the lineup. What would you like to see the top six look like while Pettersson is out?

Last week I asked: Would you trade Nikolay Goldobin? If so, why? What would you like to see the team get in return?

t’s not clear to me what Goldobin’s future with the Canucks can be. I think he hasn’t been as bad as some suggest but not nearly as good as the love he sometimes gets on CA. Yes, he shows flashes of brilliance and his production has been ok — though I’d argue not as good given some of the opportunities (and line mates) he’s been given. The times he’s been stapled to the bench or thrown onto the fourth line I can’t really argue with. I don’t think he’s the best fit on the EP-BB line (I think both Leivo and Baertschi have been superior), and he doesn’t really fit with Virtanen or Horvat who tend to bullrush the goal and need someone to either distribute outside of the zone or rotate back to cover for them. So where does that leave him, not just this year but moving into the future? Who are the young skilled forwards on the horizon? Gaudette is the only C, otherwise it’s Lind and Dahlen with Gadjovich and Palmu to battle for wing spots. It’s not clear to me that Goldobin has a much higher ceiling; his defensive game has improved but really not that much and not enough to warrant more a ton more responsibility (and it’s not like Green didn’t see Goldobin in the AHL either, albeit not for a ton of time). If they can get something decent — a pick or a prospect — I’d consider doing it if they’re selling high. If not there’s no point.

Yes I would absolutely consider trading Goldobin.

Goldy doesn’t produce that well away from Pettersson and a bit like Anson Carter with the Sedin’s I think Goldy is much more the beneficiary than the driver. There are gaps in his game that Green hasn’t been able to close.

Goldobin is a decent winger and still has some upside. He has arbitration rights this offseason. With the points he has put up playing with Pettersson the Canucks may not (and shouldn’t in my opinion) want to pay him what an arbitrator might award. None of Goldy, Baertschi or Leivo are the calibre of LWer needed to play with Pettersson and Boeser longer term. I can’t see any of them being considered one of the top 30 LWers in the league.

A late 2nd rnd pick would be a weak return for Goldobin.

I can see where the Canucks may be done with Goldobin. His defensive lapses are very noticeable. Boyle’s goal was horrible. Goldobin had position and just let Boyle skate away for the rebound as he watched the d man shoot the puck. He produces okay, but not great considering who he has played with this season and not great considering the poor defensive play.

He does best fit with Pettersson and Boeser, but Boeser isn’t great defensively either which is tough to have on one line. They started the season with Goldobin and Pettersson, but added the defensively reliable Eriksson to help. Boeser obviously produces extremely well and needs to stay with Pettersson, but that doesn’t leave a good fit on the line for Goldobin.

He is a decent young player, so the return would have to have value attached.

This year has felt like a tipping point for goldobin as he has walked the line between brilliant and boneheaded all year. His biggest issue has been consistency and it seems like he could tip either way at any given time. We don’t get to see the player like the coaches and mangement do, but Im going to assume since there is smoke there is fire. Exploring a trade now is prudent as the Canucks can still sell him on his potential upside despite his inconsistencies because there will always be a GM who will take a flier on a Kovalchuk type player. I don’t think he will return much on his own, but could be a nice +1 on a larger deal.

Jim Benning speaking about Goldy – “We like his skill level and what he brings. He has come a long way in his development this season and we’re going to continue to work with him on that”.

He’s come a long way this season in his development???? He’s been healthy scratched 2 times, and has played in every single other game this season (41 games). If he has indeed come a LONG WAY, how f’ing awful did they think he was earlier this year??? Clearly not garbage enough to not warrant benching him in the press box.

Why is Goldy always being cast as the black sheep of this organization? Cause they claim he doesn’t play defence? He’s too offensively gifted to waive cause they know he’ll be claimed, yet his defensive skills are so awful that it’s futile to play him in a bottom six role….

Markus Granlund is completely devoid of any offensive skills and yet he maintains his 3rd/4th line role due to his supposed defensive skills. Yet look how godawful he has been for almost the entire season killing penalties???

Why is Goldy always this teams scapegoat???

If Green is as good a coach for these kids as so many of the commenters on here insist, then why can’t he get through to Goldy?

BTW if it sounds like I’m defending Goldy, I’m really not trying to. I fully admit he makes A LOT of boneheaded moves in the offensive zone (see his constant PP half wall forcing the pass across the slot giveaways, see his stickhandling into trouble, see his INability to see the ice and where his teammates are moving, and not where they are).

My beef is simply why TG/JB always seem to throw him under the bus for his lack of defensive play. Why does nobody else on the roster get tossed to the wolves after a game where they make defensive gaffes that lead to goals against? Why is there no accountability for the likes of Granlund, Shaller, Eriksson, MDZ, Pouliot, and others.

Yes, some of those players named have been scratched (some repeatedly) but never do you see or hear Green/Benning talk about the “why” they are being scratched and constantly repeating the same narrative for those players who are clearly being scratched cause they aren’t learning from their mistakes, yet everytime with Goldy, it’s the same old story.

To me, this just shines the light back on Green and begs the question why he can’t seem to get through to Goldy? But at the same time, why can’t he get through to the Pouliots, the MDZs, the Shallers, the Granlunds, the Erikssons?

Is it cause Goldy is a bit younger and therefore still “teachable”? I wasn’t aware that the human brain completely becomes “unteachable” after 25.